The present invention relates to railways means anti-collision and anti-derailment safety system.
As it is well known, the problem of railways safety is one of the most relevant, also in view of the recent accidents occurred, even involving deaths.
The object of the present invention is that of providing a system able to increase safety of railway circulation, based on the check in real time of the conditions of the structure along which the railways vehicle is moving and of its accessibility without risks by the same vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is that of improving the present safety systems, integrating the same.
The solution according to the present invention is divided into two categories, namely the use in the specific field of the railways safety and a potential further extended application for the advantage of the traffic capability along the lines.
a) diagnostic instrument checking the condition of the infrastructures and warning means for potential danger to be used along the railways route for routes/times dedicated and alternated with respect to those of the trains, or in case of particular emergency, such as attack threats, geophysical upset (earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.).
b) preventing accident in real time along lines employing advanced signalling and control systems; along long distance lines not watched.
c) Increase of the train density under safety conditions.
Common element to reach the above objects is a pilot trolley, remote controlled and able to prevent, thanks to its running along the railways lay-out with an anticipated time/space (useful) with respect to the means to be protected, any accident of the means due to obstacles, deformation of the lay-out and of the air line, bad working of the switches and of the signalling system, terrorist attacks, high speed, driver illness, etc.
In the first case, the trolley will precede and defend the safety of a wagon-locomotive suitably equipped to make in real time any diagnosis of the railway network and of the signalling and control systems, included the measurement of the progressive condition of the wearing condition, on said wagon operating technicians specialised in diagnosis. In this case the role of the trolley will be that of preventing accidents and damaging of the testing-wagon and its passengers, as well as that of being the test means for a subsequent use for the direct protection of the same trains, provided in the second case. The pilot trolley is in any case provided with diagnosis instruments.
In the same case, the trolley will be used as direct protection of the train, univocally dedicated to the same train and controlled by the same.
The above is valid both for the technical feasibility and for the following development, testing and use step.
At the same time, many of the outcome of said development and testing in exercise will be a common base for the optional passage to the second category.
The solution proposed according to the present invention is applied in a particularly convenient way to fast railway means along dedicated routes, as well as to traditional low speed means along mediumxe2x80x94long routes and unattended or scarcely attended routes.
With respect to the safety systems presently known, it represents a remarkable improving, being able to satisfy the limitation of the known systems.
In fact, systems presently employed limit their intervention to standard operative conditions, that can be referred to an established (and thus theoretical) model of the operativeness of the infrastructures and railway systems.
The solution suggested according to the present invention, beside constituting a supplemental safety automatized system, also intervenes in real time on any variable with respect to the standard conditions that could induce accidents, such as derailments and collisions, said variable being for example sudden obstacles along the route, track deformations, switch malfunctioning, system black-out, attacks, geophysical events, etc. that cannot be revealed by the other systems.
Furthermore, the solution suggested according to the present invention can be integrated by new technologies presently under study and application (e.g. computerised, satellitar systems, electronic cartography, etc).
Main features of the solution suggested according to the present invention therefore comprise:
possibility of intervention in case of risks not revealable by other systems, such as:
train coming in the opposite direction along the same track;
obstacle along the tracks (stones, trees, animals, etc.);
unexpected unfitness of the infrastructure (collapses, landslips, floodings, ice, etc.);
explosion for terrorist attack;
excess of speed, not suitably moderated by the fixed signs;
failure of the fixed safety systems.
in any case allowing to the train to anticipate the breaking of slowing down to prevent or minimise the derailment or impact risk
providing to the machine operators direct visible or coded information in advance with respect to the present situation.
These and other results are obtained, according to the present invention, suggesting a basic technical solution providing a remote controlled, self-propelled trolley, proceeding at a suitable distance before the train (said distance varying between 100 meters and a much bigger distance, depending on the speed and the traffic limitation), being able to anticipate in any point of the railway network any information or event that, lacking the trolley, could be verified only at the passage of the same train in that point.
It is therefore specific object of the present invention a railways means anti-collision and anti-derailment safety system comprising a self-propelled trolley remote controlled from the train locomotive, able to proceed in front of the same train, at a suitable distance, or frontally coupled to the same train, when the train is stopped, or during the crossing of critic switching platforms, and provided with sensor means to reveal anomalies, obstacles, etc. along the railroad; an integration system between the train and the trolley, to pilot the trolley from the train and transfer from the trolley to the train any information revealed; and a trolley self-elimination system, with forced ejection from the railroad.
Preferably, according to the invention, said trolley has a very light profile, made up of very flat material and provided with ballast, in order to simulate the train effect, said ballast being particularly comprised of a removable plastic container, filled with water, lead spheres or any other substance which, once released, does not hamper the coming train.
Still according to the invention, said trolley can be provided of a protected front portion with progressive dampening system.
Still according to the invention, said trolley can have an independent motorization, providing any kind of engine.
Furthermore, according to the invention, the electric traction of the trolley can be realised with a retractable pantograph.
Always according to the invention, said trolley can be realised in such a way to replicate the same critical conditions of derailment of the train, and to be provided of speed control automatically connected with the train or with the wheels.
Still according to the invention, an environmental visual reading system, particularly a telecamera, can be provided on said trolley, as well as fixed or satellitar system electronics, as well as of electronic cartography.
The trolley can be further provided with a suitable side skid simulation system (gyroscope or trigonometric reading of fixed signals provided on the railroad).
Said trainxe2x80x94trolley integration system is preferably comprised of a data and images, dedicated and cryptographic, anti-intrusion and input transmission system.
The integration system provides a manual or remote correction intervention system.
Furthermore, according to the invention, mechanisms are provided on said trolley co-operating for the fixing of the trolley to the same train and relevant elevation from the tracks.